Biden admin hikes asylum processing appointments by 25% amid migration surge

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will increase the number of daily appointments for processing asylum seekers by 25%, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.

"Today we are announcing an increase in available CBP One appointments to 1,250 a day, effective June 1st. This is a continuation of the Biden Administration’s expansion of lawful pathways and opportunities to access them, including CBP One appointments," the DHS said, according to The Hill. 

CBP currently manages appointments via app, and the total available slots per day will rise from 1,000 to 1,250. The app includes an initial screening for migrants to see if they may qualify for asylum status.

"The process cuts out smugglers while also providing a safe, orderly, and humane process for noncitizens to access ports of entry instead of attempting to enter the United States unlawfully," the DHS statement continued.

The increase in processing appointments comes amid an ongoing surge in arrivals at the U.S. southern border surrounding the termination of the Title 42 immigration order that allowed border authorities to swiftly deport migrants should they hail from a nation known to host a communicable disease.

CBP encountered roughly 211,000 migrants in April, roughly two-thirds of whom were single adults. Daily encounters reached record numbers ahead of Title 42's end in May, though the full monthly numbers have not yet been released.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.